In the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files series, Harry Dresden’s investigation of a grisly double murder pulls him into the darkest depths of magical Chicago…

As a professional wizard, Harry Dresden knows firsthand that the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most of them don’t play well with humans. And those that do enjoy playing with humans far too much. He also knows he’s the best at what he does. Technically, he’s the only at what he does. But even though Harry is the only game in town, business—to put it mildly, stinks.

So when the Chicago P.D. bring him in to consult on a double homicide committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name...

“A great series—fast-paced, vividly realized and with a hero/narrator who’s excellent company.”—Cinescape

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“One of the most enjoyable marriages of the fantasy and mystery genres on the shelves.”—Cinescape

“Butcher...spins an excellent noirish detective yarn in a well-crafted, supernaturally-charged setting. The supporting cast is again fantastic, and Harry’s wit continues to fly in the face of a peril-fraught plot.”—Booklist (starred review)

“What’s not to like about this series?...It takes the best elements of urban fantasy, mixes it with some good old-fashioned noir mystery, tosses in a dash of romance and a lot of high-octane action, shakes, stirs, and serves.”—SF Site

“A tricky plot complete with against-the-clock pacing, firefights, explosions, and plenty of magic. Longtime series fans as well as newcomers drawn by the SciFi Channel’s TV series based on the novels should find this supernatural mystery a real winner.”—Library Journal

“What would you get if you crossed Spenser with Merlin? Probably you would come up with someone very like Harry Dresden, wizard, tough guy and star of [the Dresden Files].”—The Washington Times

Top customer reviews

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Storm Front was Jim Butcher's opening novel of the Dresden files. It was a terrific opening novel and launched his career as a fantasy writer. I consider him to be one of the best of the modern urban fantasy writers. After I read the first Harry Dresden novel, I was hooked. It's a fun novel and I've reread it multiple times. I still enjoy the novel tremendously. Unlike a lot of other Dresden fans, I liked the short-lived TV series that was produced. The Harry Dresden of the novels is better though. He is far more nuanced and complex than the TV series.

Storm Front is the first book in The Dresden Files series, which is about a wizard for hire. When Harry gets pulled into a case in Chicago about two murders that occurred using black magic, he's intrigued. This could go a lot of ways, and not all of them are good for him.

Overall, I loved the book! There were definitely a lot of parts that made me laugh out loud! It was perfect for a light read and had me interested from the very beginning. I'm definitely excited to read the rest of the series!

I don't know why it took me this long to begin reading this series.Jim Butcher has built an amazing world where magic is slowly recognized as being a part of life. Not everyone believes in magic and wizards.There was so much happening that it kept me up most of the night, glued to the story. I definitely recommend this to anyone that enjoys urban fantasy.

This is a very interesting take on magic users! The author takes a concept that's typically set in a fantasy realm, and brings it to life in today's society. He does a GREAT job explaining his premise through the main character, so that even the most skeptical reader will suspend disbelief and become engrossed in the story. As for his main character, he's just a normal guy in most respects. Very easy to relate to.

My one dislike is that this story is very dark. I think it fits with the subject matter; I personally prefer good vs. evil stories to be easily delineated. However, as we know from real life; this is seldom the case. This book challenges me to look at myself, which I typically don't like to do when reading for entertainment. However, he does it very well, and in a very entertaining way. I will be continuing on in the series to see where he takes the story.

Having only just discovered Mr. Butcher's books. I am absolutely astounded that I haven't heard of him until just recently. At first I was a bit dubious, the concept of a modern day murder mystery tied in with sorcery and other arcane arts didn't seem like it would fit well. Boy, was I wrong. The tale of Harry Dresden enraptured me and I soon found myself devouring the book with reckless abandon. I simply couldn't put it down. Needless to say at this point, though I'll say it anyway, you need to read this book if you haven't already. I myself, will be purchasing the next few books in the series as soon as I'm finished with this review. Can't wait to see what kind of trouble Mr. Dresden will get himself into next.

This is a great introduction to the series. It sucked me in and made me eager to read more. You start to meet some of the supporting characters, but you don't yet get immersed in all the subplots, which is fine--get them hooked first, then continue building the world. In addition, the plot is well-written and the end caught me off-guard.

Harry Dresden, wizard/private detective. Need I say more? I really enjoyed this beginning to what I imagine will be an exciting series. Harry was endearing and relatable with his sarcastic humor and tough-guy with a good heart personna. The magic system was well done and his thoughts on why/how he performs certain spells kept me interested.Looking forward to the next book!

Lots to like: other-worldly creatures, non-stop pacing, impossible perils threatening the hero, and more. The author even manages to sneak in a little character development for the protagonist. Would like to have seen a little more development of the human-supernatural world, but that comes from the many books in this series.